Maine kicks off Memorial Weekend with rain, wind and chilly temps

Peter Van Allen Maine welcomed the 2025 summer season with a rainy, chilly start on Friday, May 23.

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Maine kicked off the traditional start of summer with rain, gale-force winds and temperatures in the 40s.

But the show goes on: Rain or shine, the tourism season is off and running. Last year, 14.8 million visitors to Maine spent more than $9.2 billion, supporting 115,900 jobs and generating $5.4 billion in wages, according to Maine Office of Tourism numbers quoted by the office of Gov. Janet Mills.

Going into Memorial Day weekend, AAA projects 45.1 million people nationwide will travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 22, through Monday, May 26. Some 39.4 million of those travelers plan to go by car, while 3.69 million people will take to the air.

“Memorial Day weekend getaways don’t have to be extravagant and costly,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “While some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends. Long holiday weekends are ideal for travel because many people have an extra day off work and students are off from school.”

At least to start the weekend, the National Weather Service predicts the weekend will start out with heavy rain, gale-force winds and isolated coastal flooding.

The Portland International Jetport urged travelers to allow plenty of time to find parking, noting that high volume meant the lots were filling up quickly. As of late this morning, all scheduled flights appeared to be departing and arriving on time.

Fingers crossed, the Portland Sea Dogs will host the Reading [Pa.] Fightin Phils tonight at 6 p.m., followed by fireworks.

Governor welcomes Canadian travelers

Mills and state economic and tourism officials met Thursday with York County business leaders about the effect of tariffs and relations with Canada on the economy and hospitality industry.

In Old Orchard Beach, Mills unveiled new signs welcoming Canadian visitors. The signs will also be near border crossings with Canada.

"Maine and Canada share deep cultural, economic, and family ties. As uncertain federal policy and harsh words toward Canada test those ties, we want our Canadian friends to know that they are always welcome in Maine," said Mills. "A sign can't stop harmful policies or rhetoric coming from Washington, but it can send a simple but powerful message — here in Maine, we value our neighbors, we will always treat them with respect, and we welcome them warmly to our state."

Last year some 800,000 Canadian visitors spent $497.7 million in Maine, according to the Maine Office of Tourism.